In the week ending December 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 338,000, a decrease of 42,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 380,000. The 4-week moving average was 348,000, an increase of 4,250 from the previous week's revised average of 343,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending December 14, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 14 was 2,923,000, an increase of 46,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,877,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,836,750, an increase of 39,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,797,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 413,920 in the week ending December 21, a decrease of 159 from the previous week. There were 457,578 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending December 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,984,815, an increase of 113,284 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,254,315.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 7 was 4,279,284, a decrease of 132,858 from the previous week. There were 5,471,714 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending December 7.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,869 in the week ending December 14, a decrease of 306 from the prior week. There were 2,004 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 352 from the preceding week.

There were 20,880 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending December 7, a decrease of 1,559 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 31,459, a decrease of 1,478 from the prior week.

States reported 1,333,332 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending December 7, a decrease of 40,699 from the prior week. There were 2,096,243 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 14 were in California (+4,622), Illinois (+3,686), Massachusetts (+2,331), Ohio (+1,529), and Indiana (+1,473), while the largest decreases were in New York (-12,706), Pennsylvania (-10,866), Georgia (-8,340), Texas (-4,904), and Wisconsin (-4,821).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 21

Dec. 14

Change

Dec. 7

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

338,000

380,000

-42,000

369,000

366,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

413,920

414,079

-159

462,198

457,578

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

348,000

343,750

+4,250

330,250

364,000

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 14

Dec. 7

Change

Nov. 30

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

2,923,000

2,877,000

+46,000

2,790,000

3,200,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

2,984,815

2,871,531

+113,284

2,959,841

3,254,315

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

2,836,750

2,797,250

+39,500

2,794,750

3,212,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.2%

2.2%

0.0%

2.1%

2.5%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.3%

2.2%

+0.1%

2.3%

2.5%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 14

Dec. 7

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

1,869

2,175

-306

1,680

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,004

2,356

-352

2,574

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 7

Nov. 30

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

2,864,792

2,952,897

-88,105

3,238,182

Federal Employees (UCFE)

20,880

22,439

-1,559

21,095

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

31,459

32,937

-1,478

40,561

EUC 20083

1,333,332

1,374,031

-40,699

2,096,243

Extended Benefits4

183

186

-3

44,610

State Additional Benefits 5

5,566

4,565

+1,001

6,056

STC / Workshare 6

23,072

25,087

-2,015

24,967

TOTAL

4,279,284

4,412,142

-132,858

5,471,714

FOOTNOTES
SA - Seasonally Adjusted Data, NSA - Not Seasonally Adjusted Data
1 - Prior year is comparable to most recent data.
2 - Most recent week used covered employment of 130,396,096 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate,
and the extent of benefits paid, can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED NOVEMBER 9, 2013

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

NY

-12,706

Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation and warehousing, and food services industries.

PA

-10,866

Fewer layoffs in the transportation and construction industries.

GA

-8,340

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing, construction, administrative and support services, trade, and health care and social assistance industries.

TX

-4,904

No comment.

WI

-4,821

No comment.

AL

-2,805

Fewer layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and administrative, support services, waste management and remediation industries.

WA

-2,725

No comment.

FL

-2,715

Fewer layoffs in the agriculture and construction industries.

SC

-2,623

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

TN

-2,444

No comment.

MN

-1,545

No comment.

NC

-1,299

Fewer layoffs in the nonclassifiable establishments, business services, and construction industries.

VA

-1,168

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MT

-1,133

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

+4,622

Layoffs in the service, retail, finance and insurance, and real estate industries.

IL

+3,686

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MA

+2,331

Layoffs in the administrative and waste management, and construction industries.

OH

+1,529

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

IN

+1,473

Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

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